RecyclingMonster - Last month’s sudden cancellation of recycling services by Bruin Waste Management has left Ridgway residents with a choice: Let plastic bottles, cans, paper and cardboard languish in a landfill - or in their garages.
In an email sent to some customers, Chris Trosper, manager of Bruin Waste, cited health concerns of sorters at the recycling facility during the COVID-19 pandemic for the cancellation of services. Public safety was listed as the reason for not storing presorted materials at Bruin’s facility.
Trosper said that while trash pick-up is an essential service, sorting of recycling is not. He provided no date when recycling would resume, only that it would not be until after the COVID-19 pandemic has abated.
A representative of Bruin Waste said by phone that drivers will continue to pick up carefully separated and rinsed recyclables set out in bins, but those items will be taken with trash to the landfill.
The Ridgway Town Council discussed the issue at its meeting last week, during which some councilors expressed concerns about the recycling continuing to be picked up but taken to the landfill. Ridgway Town Administrator Preston Neill said the “kicker” is the town is continuing to pay for recycling when it’s not happening, as part of the agreement the town has with Bruin to provide trash services.
Bruin serves waste customers in unincorporated areas of Ouray County as well as within the Town of Ridgway.
Waste Management, which services most of the City of Ouray, is still accepting and processing recycling. The company also has a drop-off center located at 1901 6450 Rd. in Montrose that is still accepting recyclable items, but it is outdoors and is often closed in windy conditions. The facility requires some recyclables to be separated and is open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., depending on conditions.
Anna Spitza, Waste Management spokeswoman, said the company “remains fully committed to sustainability and will continue to collect recyclables for our customers in Ouray County and throughout the state.”
Spitza said Ouray’s recyclables are processed in Grand Junction before being sent to end markets for use as raw materials.
According to Spitza, Waste Management has taken steps to safeguard employees. Sorters in the facilities have been repositioned to comply with social distancing, and temporary barriers have been installed.
Spitza said the federal Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have not called for additional steps in the handling of municipal solid waste and recycling. She said Waste Management will continue to follow safety protocols already in place to protect employees. The company has always instructed employees to follow safety procedures, including wearing proper protective equipment when handling waste and recycling, which includes medical waste.
Jake Niece, Green Business coordinator for EcoAction Partners, a local environmental nonprofit, said the only recycling options Bruin customers have is to either hang on to their recyclables and wait for recycling to resume or take them to the Recycle Center in Montrose. He also suggested consumers be mindful of what they purchase in the first place to reduce waste.
“Now is a good time to re-evaluate what you buy. The best way to make less waste is to buy products with less packaging and buy less instant trash to start out with,” Niece said.